My wife passed away four-and-a-half years ago and I am getting married again. I’m 70 and my fiancee is 56.
I have a pacemaker and I take the blood pressure tablet bisoprolol every day. Is it safe for me to try Viagra?
Viagra can be extremely useful for helping people with a host of different conditions to maintain their intimate relationships. But those with heart conditions need to be careful.
Having said that, not everyone suffering with heart problems needs to worry.
Drug regulator NICE does not allow Viagra to be prescribed to those who have recently had a heart attack or stroke, or those with serious angina.
This includes patients who have heart-related chest pain even when they are not exercising or exerting themselves.
'Although doctors are cautious before offering Viagra to those with heart disease, it doesn’t mean they can’t'
Doctors also can’t prescribe it if a patient’s blood pressure is below 90 for the top number.
Most people do not have such low blood pressure, but if you are taking a beta blocker, which includes bisoprolol, or other medications that lower blood pressure, it can drop below 90.
Although doctors are cautious before offering Viagra to those with heart disease, it doesn’t mean they can’t.
Viagra can be taken with most heart medications, except for nitrates which are used for angina, as the two can lead to a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
This includes the GTN spray that some people use to treat angina attacks.
Viagra is widely available. You can buy it online, at a pharmacy or via a GP prescription, but it is worth speaking to a GP or pharmacist first so they can talk you through the risks and benefits and how to use it safely if you have heart disease.
For instance, different doses work for different types of patients. There are also other treatments for erectile dysfunction, such as Cialis and Levitra.
The final choice depends on an individual’s circumstances and how often they have sex.
A decade ago I had sciatica in my right leg and was signed off work for two months because of the pain.
In April I started getting similar, stabbing pains in my back, hip and leg, but they quickly vanish. Is this my sciatica returning? I’ve been sent to a physiotherapist for exercises but surely I need a scan first?
Sciatica is caused by problems with the spinal discs between the vertebrae.
The pain is typically felt in the buttocks, the back of the thighs and outer calves, although some people feel it down to their toes.
The condition, which can also cause tingling and numbness, develops when nerves in the spinal cord that supply the legs get squashed due to inflammation or slipped discs.
Sciatica is caused by problems with the spinal discs between the vertebrae. The pain is typically felt in the buttocks, the back of the thighs and outer calves, although some people feel it down to their toes (file picture)
Contrary to common belief, sciatica does not require X-rays or MRI scans to diagnose it. Doctors diagnose the condition on the basis of typical symptoms rather than tests.
A physiotherapist is a medical expert in musculoskeletal issues and they are well placed to deal with sciatica.
During an examination, they typically look for one-sided leg pain that extends below the knee, as well as other signs.
Treatment for sciatica involves exercises, pain relief and physiotherapy.
Visiting an osteopath can also be helpful for spinal mobilisation or massage.
However, I am always wary of recommending chiropractors, as they are not regulated in the same way other clinicians
